A common ground
by Golden Seeker 91
Summary: Character development on multiple parts just after the OWL's in the Marauders era
1. Chapter 1

1

Remus Lupin was walking alone through the corridors of Hogwarts. He felt as though he needed to be alone for a while and his feet were treading the well engrained route to the library, knowing that James and Sirius had no real interest in being there so soon after the OWL's had finished, and as Peter wanted to be wherever they were, he didn't have to worry about him either. It was nice to be able to think, to be quiet, away from James and Sirius' constant bantering and laughter and although Remus was happy to hear it, sometimes he just needed to be in his own mind.

Today was one of those days. Remus was relieved that the OWL's were over and he knew the others would be celebrating, but he couldn't bring himself to sit in the crowded Gryffindor common room. He slipped out of the door, taking advantage of the packed room and James' game of exploding snap with Sirius, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was quiet out here. His footsteps echoed around the walls as he walked but that was the only sound.

As he walked his mind started to organise itself. He should have been feeling happy, after all the exams had finished and he felt he had done rather well, but all he could feel was anger. James and Sirius' behaviour after the exams had been horrible. After all they had done to protect him Remus didn't see why they thought they could treat Snape so badly. He wished he had told them both to stop but he couldn't. He was a prefect, he had to authority to stop it. He huffed, annoyed with himself for not stepping in when he should have, walking faster now, his pulse rushing in his ears, his footsteps echoing around the stone corridors. After a while he realised there were footsteps alongside his own, he turned sharply and saw Sirius walking behind him.

"You okay?" he asked.

Remus took a few seconds to answer, his brain slowly adjusting itself.

"Yeah, why?"

"Because I've been calling you for a while and you didn't hear me, plus you just looked like you wanted to hex me."

"Oh, sorry."

"Where you going? Were all celebrating, Owls are over."

"I know." Remus said tiredly. "I just needed to get out of the common room. Was gonna go to the library."

Sirius stepped forward, reaching forward to touch his arm. Remus pulled it back agitatedly. Sirius backed up, looking concerned and hurt at the same time. He put his hands in the pocket of his robes. Remus immediately felt bad; he hadn't meant to react like that.

"Sorry Sirius." He said, rubbing his forehead.

Sirius shrugged in response.

"Its fine, just please, tell me what's wrong?"

Remus took a breath.

"Why'd you do that to Snape this afternoon? You could have stopped James; he listens to you. You protect me because of the way I am, why did you treat Snape like he's something less than me. He hasn't done anything to deserve that." Remus signed, "I just don't understand what James' problem is with him. I used to have nightmares thinking I would be treated like that when I came to school, and here I am, surrounded by friends, and James is doing his best to drive away only friend Snape has."

"You know his problem, Lily is the problem, and how Snape is so close to her. I really don't think he understands how bad he is being sometimes. As long as he's got people laughing behind him it drives him forward."

"I know, I know he doesn't think when he's like that, but still, I feel horrible for not stopping him."

Sirius reached a tentative hand out of his robes and put it on Remus' shoulder.

"Look, I'm sorry that it upset you, acting like that this afternoon. I know I shouldn't have encouraged him. You know that James would have stopped too if he'd have known it hurt you."

Remus breathed in deeply, rubbing his eyes against sudden tiredness and headache.

"It's fine, thanks Sirius." He said softly, briefly squeezing the hand on his shoulder, before lifting it gently away. "Tell James I'll be back soon. I just need to send a note to someone. Thank you for checking I was okay. It's good to have friends like you."

Sirius give him a quick smile.

"Good to have friends like you too. See you soon Moony."

He turned on his heal and was gone. Once more Remus was alone, He took another deep breath, deciding what to do, then with the touch of Sirius' hand still tingling on his shoulder, changed course to the owlery.


	2. Chapter 2

2

Remus was so lost in worrying what he would say in the letter that he didn't realise that he was at the Owlery until he raised a hand to the handle of the door and pushed it gently open. He noticed it was shaking slightly, though from cold or anxiety he couldn't tell. He closed his fist tightly and stepped into the musty stillness of the owlery.

He headed up the spiral stairs to where there was a small table, eyes adjusting to the dimness. He heard a sniff and realised he wasn't alone. Lily sat at the table, writing with a shaking hand, brushing tears from the parchment. A cold feeling curled around Remus' stomach. He froze, weighing up his options, he could creep back down the stairs or he could go to her and try to apologise. However, before he could move in either direction the stair beneath him creaked. Lily snapped her head up.

"Sev?" she whispered into the darkness.

Lupin climbed the last two steps showing himself in the light of the single candle.

"No, sorry, just me."

"Remus." She gasped. Flinging herself across the space between them and hugging him tightly around the neck.

He staggered back a few steps in surprise and shock, before gingerly hugging her back. He realised she was shivering and the hands around his neck were cold. Her hair ticked his cheek. He gently disentangled himself and softly guided her back to the stool. He saw she was only wearing her school shirt; she must have been here since the incident this afternoon. He wrapped his cloak gently round her shoulders. She tried to shake it off and give it back.

"No," Remus said softly, "Your freezing, please, keep it."

Lily blinked tears away, breathing in deeply and drawing the cloak around her.

"Thank you."

Remus shrugged in response and sat down on the dusty floor next to her.

They sat together in silence for a while, Lily's quill scratching on the parchment, the owls in their alcoves hooting softly.

The scratching stopped. Remus looked up. Lily was staring blackly at the page, he could see smudged letters and scribbled out words.

"Lily."

She didn't move, just continued to stare at the page bleakly.

"Lily, Please I need to talk to you."

Lily looked up, eyes focusing slowly on Remus.

"I am so sorry for what happened today. I, as a prefect, had the duty to stop James doing that. If I had of stepped in none of this would have happened. You wouldn't be upset and you could have been celebrating the end of the OWL's with Severus.

"Remus." Lily breathed.

"Please tell me you can still be friends with him. James goaded him into calling you that. You know he would have never said that to you otherwise. You must know that. He cares more for you then anyone else, more I think then even himself.

"Remus."

"Just please, don't leave him all alone, he needs someone who cares for him, and I know you do care for him."

"Remus," Lily said again, resting a hand on his arm. "Please, I need to talk to you."

Remus stopped talking, looking sideways at Lily as she spoke.

"I know that he wouldn't have meant it, I'm angrier at James, he was the one who pushed him into saying it, but hearing those words from Severus' mouth."

She broke off, looking away. Remus gently squeezed her hand.

"You've no need to apologise to anyone. James is one of your best friends, its harder to stand up to him than it would be to someone who you don't like. I know I wouldn't be able to tell Severus to stop if the situation were reversed."

Remus breathed for what he felt was the first time in a long while.

"So, you'll be okay, you and Severus?"

"Yeah, we will be, we always will be. And your right, I do care for him, so much, that I couldn't let that come between us. The thought of not being with him at all is more painful than just a name."

Suddenly there was another creak. Both of them whipped around.

"Sev?" Lily whispered again.

A pale face emerged from the staircase. Warn and tear streaked.

Lily sobbed and threw herself across the short space between them nearly knocking him down the stairs he'd just come up.

"I'm sorry Lily, I am so sorry." Whispered Severus.

Lily squeezed him even tighter, shaking her head against him to stop him from talking.

Remus rose to his feet. He tried to hide a smile as he trod quietly toward the staircase. Lily broke away from Severus and caught him before he could leave.

"Thank you, Remus."

Remus shrugged his shoulders in response and turned again to leave.

"Remus."

He froze.

"Yes, Severus."

"Thank you for saying those things, please don't think me rude for listening to your conversation but I couldn't bring myself to interrupt."

"That's fine, it needed to be said, and I am sorry for all those times James has treated you badly. You don't deserve it at all."

"As Lily said, you've no reason or need to apologise, but thank you."

The boys smiled at each other. Lily sniffed.

They turned to her. She rubbed at her eyes and smiled weakly. Severus stepped forward pulling her into a hug.

"It will be alright now Lils, it always will be."

There was silence for a few moments, then Lily's stomach rumbled. They broke away laughing.

"Wow, I'm hungry. Let's go and celebrate the end of the exams!" She said, taking Severus by the hand. "I brought your favourites!"

Severus beamed at Lily pulling her toward the steps. Remus had never seen a look of such happiness on Severus' face. He paused then turned to face Remus, a smile still tugging at the corner of his mouth.

"You're welcome to join us if you'd like to. She's got me pumpkin pasties."

"How do you know that Sev?" Lily piped up, nudging him.

Severus turned back to Lily.

"Cause there my favourite." He said, nudging her back.

Lily shrugged in response and poked her tongue out at Severus. He laughed.

"Come on, lets go, I'm starving."

Remus followed them, unsure of what to do.


	3. Chapter 3

3

They stopped at an empty classroom. Lily unlocked the door and inside there was a feast of treats. There were the aforementioned pumpkin pasties on one of the tables, she'd also got pumpkin juice and most of the stuff honey dukes sold. Remus' stomach rumbled as the smell of it hit him. Lily passed him a pasty.

"Please, stay for a bit."

Remus took the pasty and sat down, smiling at her in thanks. She grinned at him. Severus took a pasty of his own, taking a huge bite and finishing it in two. He sighed in satisfaction and leaned back in his chair.

"That's better!"

They sat and talked and ate through most of the food. Remus lost track of time until he yawned and looked at his watch. He choked on the remainder of a pasty.

"It's nearly 11 o clock! I've got to get back to the dormitory. It's only a few minutes till curfew!"

Lily looked at him with a smile.

"You're the prefect! It's me that should be worried."

Remus blushed.

"Yeah, I keep forgetting that, still, I'd better head back."

"Okay, want me to come with you?"

"Na your fine, so far as I know your in your room."

Lily smiled at him gratefully.

"See you soon. Thanks Remus."

"Yeah see you soon." He turned to Severus, offering his hand. "Thank you for accepting my apology and for sharing your pasties with me, it's more than I deserve."

Severus took his hand and shook it.

"Its been a pleasure to share them. You deserve no less than that. Thank you for being there for Lily tonight too." He paused for a moment then continued. "If you ever needed to get away from the common room to anywhere quieter, this is where we meet. It's a common ground, where we can be together without people staring or talking. You would be welcome to join us."

Remus paused.

"Thank you." He said, swallowing hard. "Thank you."

He turned to leave. Lily grabbed his arm.

"I nearly forgot!"

She reached into the pocket of her robes drawing out a huge bar of Honey dukes' chocolate.

"Congratulations for finishing the exams! I know chocolate is your favourite. See you soon." She said, kissing him on the cheek.

Remus flushed.

"Thanks! See you soon."

Remus headed back to the common room. He realised how shattered and relieved he was. Wearily he climbed the last set of stairs and opened the door to the common room not expecting anyone to be there but to his surprise James was siting in the chair by the fire, asleep. He looked harmless then, like he hadn't said those things this afternoon. Just then he stirred, blinking slowly at Remus from across the dim room.

"Hey. You okay? What time is it?"

"About 11o clock. Your up late. You okay?"

"Yeah, I'm okay. Look, I wanted to wait till you came back. I'm sorry about this afternoon. I understand it hurt you how I behaved towards Snape earlier and I am sorry."

"It's okay. I was able to apologise to Lily, and then to Severus."

"Okay, good."

"Get to sleep, see you in the morning."

"Yeah, you too." He reached forward resting a hand on Remus' arm. "You're a good friend to everyone, better than I can be sometimes."

Remus shrugged in response and turned to go up to the dormitory, but before he could James called him back.

"Hey, I almost forgot. I got you your favourite." He said, pulling a bar of honey dukes' chocolate from his robes. "I didn't have a chance to give it to you tonight."

Remus grinned broadly.

"Thanks Prongs."

He turned and climbed heavily up the stairs, he had found a common ground, and the exams were over. He crawled into bed and closed his eyes, sleep overcoming him before he'd even managed to take a bite of his chocolate.


End file.
